


Picking Up The Shards

by WindMeister8



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Execution, F/M, Gallows, Hanging, Noose, The Gallows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-04-14 01:39:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4545261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindMeister8/pseuds/WindMeister8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Throngs of people fill the courtyard awaiting the event of the day. You, on the other hand, confine yourself to your home for your soul is dead. Will you be able to pick up the pieces once again and hold your head up high for the sake of love?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Picking Up The Shards

**Author's Note:**

> **(AU Note: For maximum effect, listen to[this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBbzDdwplsM))**

The deep rumbling of thunder and sudden chill in the air matched the dark atmosphere in the large courtyard. Men and women, both old and young, crowded into the space, filling up every inch there was. People were spilling into the streets, all craning their necks for a better glimpse of the events that would soon take place on the elevated platform. Almost everyone in town was present within that area – all except you.

You were at home, barely two blocks away from the center of town where all the commotion was. Yet, the sound of the crowds could be heard from where you sat at the kitchen table. You could even feel the tension in the air that, like an animal, threatened to take hold of you and cut off your air supply. The comparative silence of your immediate surroundings contrasted with the distant sounds from the courtyard, making you feel like you were in a different reality all by yourself. 

In truth, you already were. Your eyes were vacant, your face expressionless and your movement was robotic. You could pass for a living zombie. Closing your eyes, you leant back in your chair, counting the seconds as they ticked by. 

_What day was it?_ You couldn’t even remember. You only knew that today was the day when everything in this world would stop – at least for you.   
_  
What next?_  You didn’t know what to do next, what to do now, what to do… ever. 

_Was there even a point to it all?_ You were tired of everything. 

Then, you heard a shift in the air, the murmurs of the crowd taking on a more excited vibe. The main event was beginning. You could imagine all of it unraveling in front of your eyes without actually witnessing it. A small group of military personnel would escort the single prisoner from the end of the street towards the platform. People would jeer and shout taunts but the prisoner would keep his head held up high. He would look official and confident despite the cuffs that bound his wrists and jangled with every step he took. His ocean blue eyes would look straight ahead, his mouth set into a firm expression….

Tears trickled down your face as you conjured up his face, his smile, his body… his everything in your mind. The touch of his large hands, the small smile he had etched on his face that only appeared when you were with him, the feeling of his skin upon yours as the two of you merged as one. Without warning, all the memories came flooding back and you opened your mouth in a silent scream as you recalled the day he was arrested and taken away from you with sudden force. 

_My dream… I entrust to you._

Your head jerked up suddenly as you heard the echo of his last words ringing in your ears. He had trusted you to continue his work, yet here you were wallowing in sorrow and self-pity. You had succumbed to weakness when he was now still standing strong in the face of death. You had no right to be like this. This was no time for you to be sitting here.

Standing up abruptly, you grabbed your old and worn jacket, threw it on and ran outside. The dark rain clouds that had been hanging above in the sky finally opened up and released their burden. Raindrops beat down on your strong figure as you ran like the wind to the courtyard. Weaving through the crowd, you found a standing spot a few meters away from where the gallows stood. 

Your eyes darted around, searching for your lover among the crowd. Hearing the jeers from somewhere to your right, you turned to look and finally caught sight of his blonde hair. The sight of his tall and strong frame caused your breath to hitch in your throat. He was looking straight ahead with his hands handcuffed behind him, his back ever so straight. 

As his escorts led him up to the platform, the crowd broke into collective shouts and taunts. Someone flung an egg at him, which led to dozens of people following suit. You clenched your fists in anger as he was peppered with all manner of dirt. He had done so much for the people and yet this was what he had gotten. Why… just why? You felt like yelling at the top of your lungs and beating some sense into these ignorant masses. But you merely gritted your teeth and focused your gaze on the man that was standing tall in the face of it all. You had a mission. A mission that he had entrusted to you. 

The list of his crimes was read out but you had no wish to listen to it. The only words that you caught were his name, the name of the man you loved and dedicated your life to, Erwin Smith. How sweet his name was and how beautiful it sounded when you said it. But you would never speak it again, never call out his name in the throes of passion, never whisper it in your dream. 

As the noose was hung around his neck, he looked around at the faces in the crowd until he finally found yours. His cold and distant blue eyes now emitting warmth and sadness as he locked eyes with you. Fresh tears welled up in your eyes but you refused to let it out. You would be strong… for him.  He gave a small smile, a smile that conveyed so much to you and in response, you held your fist out and slowly put up your thumb, index finger, and pinkie finger in the sign of ‘I love you’.

Before the executor pulled the lever, Erwin mouthed the same declarations of love to you before his body was jerked upwards. You watched grimly as he entered the arms of death and once you knew his soul had left this earth, you turned away and disappeared into the crowd. 

Erwin was gone. A part of your heart had died with him there. But you would not let yourself join him until you had brought his dream to fruition.

For your love…. For Erwin. 

 

_Wait for me._


End file.
